Resilient vehicle-wheel



L. H. SCHOONOVER. RESILIBNT VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED AUG.23.H113.

Patented Dec. 9. 1913.

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RESILIENT VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2s, 1913.

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LEM H. SCHOONOVER, 0F BOISE, IDAHO.

RESILIENT VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Specivcation of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9,' 1913.

Application filed August 28, 1913. Serial No. 786,291.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEM H. ScHooNovEB, acitizen of the United States, residing at Boise, in the county of Adaand State of Idaho, have invented a new and useful ResilientVehicle-Wheel, of which the followinis a specification.

he object of my invention is to provide an improved resilientvehicle-wheel which may be adapted for use with any kind of vehicle; toprovide novel means for imparting resiliency; and to provide a wheel inwhich the Weight at the hub is supported from the uppermost portion ofthe wheel, and which permits the resilient movement of the hub to aneccentric position relative to the tire or rim under strain.

It is a further object of my invention to provide novel spoke mechanismfor a wheel of this type, which shall afford both strength andflexibility and make possible the use of a relatively small number ofspokes.

It is an especial object of my invention to provide a puncture-proofresilient wheel adapted for usey on automobiles.

It is also an object of my invention to provide mechanism in whichcompressed air Vis the resilient element and which does not requiresprings or pneumatic tires, and to provide a novel combination andarrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the' drawings which illustrate my invention, and which areto be considered in connection with my specification, Figure 1 is afront elevation of my resilient vehicle-wheel when under load; Fig. 2 isa vertical section Online 2 2 of Fig. l; Fig.

3 is an enlarged detail view of the cylinder and piston; Fig. 4 is adetail cross section on line 4 4 of ,Fig 3; Fig. 5 is a. detailperspective of the piston.

Like characters of reference indicate like 1 parts throughout theseveral views.

As illustrated in the drawings, I rovide av metallic tubular rim 1, overW ich is shrunk a flat rubber tire,18 'to form the tread, when the wheelis used on automobiles or motorcycles,`or I may use a steel tread.Secured to the inner portion of the metallic tubular rim I are aplurality of felly segments 2, havin threaded orifices 3 to correspondwith similar orifices in the tubular rim 1, and in which are mounted theradial cylinders 4. Each cylinder is provided with a piston 5, securedto a piston rod 6, which in turn is secured to a knuckle joint member 7,which latter member is secured to a spoke 8, which is secured to the hub9 of my vehicle wheel.

Each cylinder is provided with a suitable stutling box, indicated by theletter S. My stuffing box consists of packing 10, a gland or bushin 11,which screws to the interior of the cylinder, holding the packing tihtlyT in position against the inner cylinder ange 12.. Another packing13 is held in place by the cylinder cap 14, which screws on the exteriorof the cylinder. Each piston 5 is provided with a circumferential groove15, and with one or more, preferably three, longitudinalair grooves 16extending from the circumferential groove to the inner end of thepiston, thus forming a conduit tothe interior of the cylinder, asillustrated in the detail views in the drawings. My st-ufiing boxprovides an air-tight closure for the outer end of the cylinder, whileat the inner end the portion of the piston beyond the circumferentialgroove 15 is fitted to within one-hundredth part of an inch of the endof the cyl'- inder. A valve of ordinary construction or nipple 19 isprovided in the tubular rim 1, as illustrated in Fig. 1, so that air maybe supplied to it under pressure. I also provide an outer cylinderflange 17 for each cylinder, preferably,- for the purpose of greater.security, as will be obvious from the drawings. In operation, the axle,mounted in hub 9, is supported from the top or uppermost portion of thewheel at all times, and weight on the hub tends to project that memberinto an eccentric position relative to the tubular rim 1, such movementbeing made possible by the cylinder and piston mechanism to which thespokes are attached, the pull on the spokes tending to compress the airin the cylinders under the pressure of the istons and give resiliency tothe wheel. T us when the wheel comes in contact with an obstacle, thehub goes down a little and takes off the jar, compressing the air in theupper cylinders, and projecting the pistons in the lower or oppositecylinders beyond the circumferential groove or suicient to reill thecylinder with air from the outer casing, or tubular rim 1, whichoperationlis facilitated by having the tubular rim lled with compressedair. The tubular rim 1 should contain a sufficient quantity of highgrade oil to keep the cylinders in perfect working condition at alltimes.

The knuckle joint members connecting the spokes with the piston rodsaffords lievibility while making ossible the use of a large strongspoke, t us permitting of the employment of a relatively small number ofcylinders, each spoke being operatively connected with the piston in onecylinder.

The tubular rim 1 may be made of hollow pressed steel, hollow malleableiron, hollow aluminum or other suitable metal. for automobile or similartires, and it is within the contemplation of my invention to. combine mycylinder, piston and spoke mechanism with rimsof any material bysuitable modifications not herein set forth in detail, the rimillust-rated in the drawingsbeing the referred form of my invention.

lhat I claim is:

1. In a resilient vehicle wheel, the combination of a/rim,radially-disposed'cylinders secured thereto, pistons having longitudinalgrooves and a circumferential groove out of which the first-namedgrooves open to forni air conduits to the interior of the cylinders,stuiing boxes forming air-tight closures for the inner-ends of thecylinders, piston rods secured to the pistons, knuckle Ajoint meml thecylinders in (p bers secured to the piston rods spokes secured to theknuckle joint mem ers, and a hub to which the spokes are attached.

2.l In a, resilient vehicle wheel, the combination o f a metallictubular rim, a Hat rubber tire shrunk over the rim and forming thetread, radially-disposed cylinders extending partly within and-partlyWithout the tubular rlm, Yfelly mechanism to securely fasten osition,pistons having one or more longitu inal grooves and a circumferentialgroove out of which the aforesaid longitudinal grooves o en to form airconduits to the interior o the c linders, stuifin boxes formingair-tight osures for the cy inder ends, piston rodssecured to thepistons, knuckle joint. members secured lo the piston rods, spokessecured to the knuckle joint members, and a hub to which the spokes areattached, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

LEM H. SCHOONOVER.

Witnesses z,

HENRY W. BAKER, LEE Es'ms.

